Arkhip Kuindzhi. Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich - biography and paintings Kuindzhi biography in brief
Arkhip Kuindzhi Portrait by Vasnetsov, 1869 Date of birth: January 15, 1841 Place of birth ... Wikipedia
Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich- famous painter. Born in 1842 into the family of a shoemaker in Mariupol. He lost his parents early and lived in great poverty, tending geese, serving as a contractor for the construction of a church, then as a grain merchant; learned to read and write in Greek from a Greek teacher, then... ... Biographical Dictionary
Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich- (1841 1910), Russian painter. Landscape painter. He studied mainly independently and at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1868); taught there (1892-97), among his students were K.F. Bogaevsky, N.K. Roerich, A.A. Rylov. Member of the TPHV (1875 79; see Peredvizhniki) ... Art encyclopedia
Kuindzhi, Arkhip Ivanovich- famous Russian landscape painter; genus. in 1842; studied with Aivazovsky and for a short time at the Academy of Arts, from which in 1878 he received the title of class artist of the 1st degree. His first paintings: “Tatar village under the moonlight... ... Large biographical encyclopedia
Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich- (18411910), painter. Landscape painter. Studied at the Academy of Arts (186872), Academician from 1893; taught there (189297; dismissed for supporting student unrest). Member of the TPHV (187579). Initiator of the creation of the Society of Russian Artists (1909,... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"
Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich- [January 1841, Mariupol, now Zhdanov, ≈ 11(24).7.1910, St. Petersburg, Russian landscape painter. Son of a Greek shoemaker. He studied painting mainly independently and at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1868; full member since 1893). Member of the Partnership... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
KUINDZHI Arkhip Ivanovich- (1841 1910) Russian painter. Wanderer. Kuindzhi’s landscapes (Birch Grove, 1879; Night on the Dnieper, 1880) are characterized by romantic elation, panoramic compositions, decorative sonority of color, close to nature to the point of illusion... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich- (1841 1910), painter. Landscape painter. Studied at the Academy of Arts (1868-72), Academician from 1893; taught there (1892 97; dismissed for supporting student unrest). Member of the TPHV (1875 79). Initiator of the creation of the Society of Russian Artists (1909, later Society... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)
Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich- (1841 1910), Russian painter. Wanderer. Kuindzhi’s landscapes (“Birch Grove”, 1879; “Night on the Dnieper”, 1880) are characterized by romantic elation, panoramic compositions, decorative sonority of color, amazing in strength and... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Kuindzhi, Arkhip Ivanovich- A.I. Kuindzhi. Moonlit night on the Dnieper. KUINDZHI Arkhip Ivanovich (1841 1910), Russian painter. Wanderer. Kuindzhi’s landscapes (Birch Grove, 1879; Night on the Dnieper, 1880) are characterized by romantic elation, panoramic composition,... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
- Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi, Nevedomsky M.P., Repin I.E.. St. Petersburg, 1913. Publication of the A.I. Kuindzhi Society. Richly illustrated edition with color and black and white reproductions. Owner's binding. The condition is good. In... Buy for 16,000 rub.
- Great masters. Arkhip Kuindzhi, . Landscape artist, teacher Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi (1842-1910) mastered painting almost independently, but one day, realizing how imperfect his hand was, he went on foot to Feodosia -…
Information about Arkhip Kuindzhi’s childhood is very fragmentary and incomplete. Even the date of his birth is not known reliably. A few documents have survived, on the basis of which researchers of Kuindzhi’s biography call his birthday January 15, 1841. This event took place in a suburb of Mariupol called Karasu.
Talent and Poverty (1841-1854)
It is believed that the artist’s ancestors were Greeks who lived in Crimea in close proximity to the Tatars. There was a gradual interpenetration of cultures, the language barrier was erased, and mixed marriages arose. Therefore, it is quite possible that there is Tatar blood in Kuindzhi’s family, although the artist himself always said that he considered himself Russian.
The surname “Kuindzhi” (in the original transcription Kuyumdzhi) in the Tatar language means the name of the craft: “goldsmith”. It is known that the artist’s grandfather was indeed a jeweler. Arkhip’s brother translated his surname into Russian and became Zolotarev.
The birth of a talented child in a poor family does not promise him any privileges. Kuindzhi's father, Ivan Khristoforovich, was a shoemaker and could not provide his children with prosperity. When Arkhip was three years old, his father suddenly died. The mother lived very short after this. The little orphans were left in the care of Father Kuindzhi’s brother and sister, who took turns taking care of them as best they could.
Thanks to the support of his relatives, the boy learned to read and write, studying with a familiar Greek teacher, and later briefly attended the local city school. He did not like studying there and found it very difficult. It was during this period that his drawing abilities first clearly manifested themselves. Getting carried away, the kid drew not only on random scraps of paper, but also on furniture or a fence. This activity brought him genuine joy.
Poverty forced him to work as a shepherd, as an assistant to a grain merchant, or as a brick counter during the construction of a church. But drawing was still his main passion. This continued until 1855, when one of the adults, noticing the boy’s talent, advised him to go and study drawing with Aivazovsky, in Feodosia. Arkhip Kuindzhi made this long journey on foot, since he had nothing to pay for the journey.
New turn (1855-1859)
Crimean landscapes captured the imagination of an impressionable teenager. Aivazovsky was absent at that time, so his copyist, Adolf Fessler, out of the kindness of his heart, took part in the fate of young Arkhip. He taught him his first real drawing lessons. For poor and shy Arkhip, this meant that he had hope of becoming an artist.
He stayed in Feodosia for several months. Aivazovsky’s daughter in her memoirs described him as a short, very curly-haired boy in a straw hat, very quiet and shy.
Aivazovsky himself, upon returning to Feodosia, failed to recognize Kuindzhi’s talent and did not begin to study with him. True, he entrusted him with mixing paints and painting his fence. Disappointed and depressed by this turn of events, the young man returns home.
Luck on the third try (1860-1868)
In his hometown, Kuindzhi worked for several months as a retoucher for a photographer, and later went in search of work, first to Odessa, and from there to Taganrog. This city greeted him more welcomingly. Arkhip is hired into the photo studio of S.S. Isakovich, again as a retoucher. And he continues to draw.
Having finally realized that he would not be able to realize his dream in such conditions, Kuindzhi gave up everything and moved to St. Petersburg, where he tried to enter the Academy of Arts. However, fate gave him a new grimace - failure in the exams. The second attempt was also unsuccessful.
But talent and love for painting required an outlet and pushed me to overcome obstacles. Kuindzhi persistently painted and in 1868 exhibited his first painting entitled “Tatar hut in the Crimea.” This work gives him access to the Academy of Arts, where he is enrolled as a volunteer student.
During this fertile period, Kuindzhi created incredibly poignant paintings “Autumn thaw”, “Forgotten village” and “Chumatsky tract in Mariupol”.
They are painted in an innovative manner. Carefully selected shades very accurately convey the gloom and dullness of the bleak landscapes. The unusual colors and special play of shadows greatly impressed the public, but received mixed reviews among artists.
"Northern" period (1869-1873)
Kuindzhi was very attracted to working on landscapes. He developed his own special technique for applying paints, which made it possible to create such unusual visual illusions that his friends called him a hoaxer behind his back.
Inspired by the views of northern nature, the artist in a short period created such masterpieces as “Lake Ladoga”, “Snow”, “On the Island of Valaam”, “St. Isaac’s Cathedral by Moonlight”.
Again a turn and a meteoric rise (1874-1881)
In 1874, the life of Arkhip Kuindzhi received new content: the artist married Vera Leontyevna Ketcherdzhi. He had been in love with her since his youth. Previously, this marriage was impossible due to Kuindzhi’s extreme poverty and the rich origin of the bride.
Now the sale of paintings has made the artist a wealthy person. He was able to visit England, France, Austria, Switzerland and other countries to get acquainted with various schools of painting.
A new, more joyful period of life has arrived. And the artist’s paintings acquired a different tone. “Birch Grove”, “Dnieper in the Morning”, “Moonlit Night on the Dnieper”, “Ukrainian Night” written at that time made an incredible impression on the public.
The bright, almost decorative play of colors made the paintings simply glow. Some even tried to look behind the canvas to make sure there was no artificial moonlight. Kuindzhi's contemporary, poet Ya. Polonsky, looking at the paintings, wondered in bewilderment: is this a painting or a window frame, behind which a landscape of incomprehensible beauty opens?
Silence of a Genius (1882-1910)
After such a resounding success, Kuindzhi’s friends reasonably expected new paintings and subjects. But the artist has his own logic - he stopped exhibitions for 20 years. At this time, he continued to write, study literature, tutor students, and build a dacha in Crimea.
Despite his active and touchy character, Arkhip Kuindzhi was known as a very kind person. He constantly and free of charge supported his students with money and established prizes for the best young artists. His kindness also extended to animals and birds.
From the written memoirs of the artist’s contemporaries it is known that every day around noon he went out into the yard to feed the birds. Already accustomed to such a ritual, sparrows, crows, doves and other winged brethren flocked to him. The birds were not afraid of him at all, they sat on his hands, which only made the owner happy.
In 1901, Kuindzhi broke his “silence” by presenting new masterpieces to the discerning public: “Evening in Ukraine”, the theological plot “Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane” and a new version of “Birch Grove”. They still excite and fascinate the viewer, captivating the eye for a long time.
He did not exhibit again and many of his paintings became known only after his death. The brilliant artist died on July 11, 1910. The cause of death was a diseased heart.
This mysterious radiance comes from the very paintings of the artist, who was born on January 27, 1841. the site talks about the seven most outstanding paintings by the master, which can be seen in the collections of the State Russian Museum.
Autumn thaw
The painting was painted in 1872 and spawned a whole line of paintings about bad weather. Later the master wrote “The Forgotten Village”, “Chumatsky Highway in Mariupol”, where there are similar motifs. And the late painting “Autumn. Fog" is generally a mirror image of "Autumn thaw". By the way, the place where this unforgettable landscape was painted is still unknown.
The place where this unforgettable landscape was painted is still unknown. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Moonlit night on the Dnieper
The canvas was painted in 1880 and was immediately exhibited in St. Petersburg. Moreover, this was the only painting that made up the exhibition. Kuindzhi doubted whether he had succeeded in this work. To understand the public's reaction, the master invited friends, journalists, and strangers to his workshop to observe their reaction. Even before finishing work on the landscape, Kuindzhi’s work was seen by Turgenev, Kramskoy, and Mendeleev.
The public reaction was incredible. Huge queues formed to see the landscape; many spectators visited the exhibition several times. Many visitors thought that Kuindzhi used some secret paints known only to him to paint the canvas. There were attempts to look behind the picture in search of additional light.
Kuindzhi was so inspired by the success that he painted two more copies of the painting, which are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery and the Yalta Livadia Palace.
Kuindzhi was so inspired by the success that he painted two more copies of the painting. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Ladoga lake
The painting was included in the artist’s trilogy about northern nature. This includes the paintings “On the Island of Valaam” and “North”. The artist decided to paint them after visiting the island of Valaam on Lake Ladoga in 1873.
There was an interesting story connected with this picture. 10 years after writing Lake Ladoga, Kuindzhi accused the artist Rufin Sudkovsky of plagiarism. It turned out that during the painting of the canvas this man was Arkhip Ivanovich’s neighbor in the apartment. And his painting “Dead Calm” is a little similar to “Lake Ladoga”. There were even publications in newspapers on this topic. The art world is divided into two camps.
The painting was included in the artist’s trilogy about northern nature. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Evening in Ukraine
The work of art was first shown in 1878 at the 6th exhibition of the Association of Itinerants. The Peredvizhniki are an association of Russian artists who opposed themselves to representatives of official academicism. The Peredvizhniki traveled a lot and organized traveling exhibitions. One of the most prominent representatives of this trend was Arkhip Kuindzhi. Among his like-minded people were Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov, Ivan Shishkin, Vasily Polenov, Ivan Kramskoy and others.
Like many other works of Kuindzhi, “Evening in Ukraine” is strong in the master’s attempt to understand the secrets of lighting, the play of light and shadow.
The work of art was first shown in 1878. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Rainbow
It is considered a masterpiece of Kuindzhi's late period. The painter painted this canvas over five years - from 1900 to 1905. The painting depicts one of the most beautiful natural phenomena - a rainbow after heavy rain. With the help of well-placed color shades, the viewer literally feels this landscape around him. The viewer inhales the fresh smell of the earth after the rain and feels a light cool wind. The sight of a bright, glowing rainbow gives a feeling of joy and admiration. Heavenly light falling on a rainbow gives hope for the best and faith in a bright future. Light colors and bright strokes in the painting create a feeling of idleness and splendor, delight.
It should be noted that Kuindzhi often addressed the theme of the rainbow; he has several similar works. But the landscape, stored in the Russian Museum, is considered one of the most famous paintings of the painter.
The painting depicts one of the most beautiful natural phenomena - a rainbow after heavy rain. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Night
The artist painted this canvas over three years, from 1905 to 1908. The painting is considered unfinished; it was painted in the last years of the master’s life; he made many changes to it. Experts regard the painting as the artist’s testament.
Experts regard the painting as the artist’s testament. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Ai-Petri. Crimea
The master painted this unique picture over 10 years - from 1898 to 1908. Kuindzhi adored Crimea; as a child, he went there to study with the great artist Aivazovsky. But he only instructed the annoying boy to paint the fence and grind the paint. During his years of seclusion, Arkhip Ivanovich bought a plot of land in Crimea and lived alone in a modest hut with his wife. The artist dedicated dozens of canvases to the views of this unique place. There in Crimea in 1910, the artist contracted pneumonia, which had a very negative impact on his health.
Photo: Public Domain / “Ai-Petri. Crimea", Arkhip Kuindzhi, 1908
True creativity inspires and elevates a person, transporting him to the Worlds of higher reality. "Through art you have Light." (Faces of Agni Yoga. Vol. 13, 332)
Each great master, introducing the viewer to Beauty, puts certain ideas into his works, creates certain forms in which he dresses these ideas.
What did Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi saturate his canvases with, what do his landscapes “say”? Looking at the artist’s paintings, even a superficial viewer feels the unusualness of the light depicted in them. “Kuindzhi is an artist of light,” wrote Ilya Efimovich Repin in “Memoirs.” “Light is charm, and the power of light, and its illusion were his goal. Of course, the whole essence of this phenomenon lay in Kuindzhi himself, in his phenomenality, personal innate originality . He listened only to his genius - the demon...”
The charm of light, together with the beauty and harmony of the composition, often conveying a landscape generalized to universal greatness, gives each Kuindzhi painting a special magnetism. Its origins always lie in those areas where inspiration takes the creator in the process of the creative act. And the higher the creative thought of the artist, the stronger and purer the fire of his heart, the more significant the fruits of his creativity.
“Why are great works of art so valued by people and do not die? Because they contain crystals of Light, placed in them by the hands of the creator of this work. The fiery spirit of an artist, sculptor, poet, composer, in the process of his creativity, saturates with the elements of Light that which he creates. And since the elements of Light are not subject to ordinary destruction by time or oblivion, the lifespan of great works of art goes far beyond the life of ordinary things and objects."
It should be said that not only Kuindzhi’s creative genius, but also his character traits had great strength and attractiveness. It is a rare artist, not wanting to “churn out masterpieces,” who will refuse to display his works at the apogee of fame, as Kuindzhi did. Not every master can be as authoritative for his students as Arkhip Ivanovich was, who created a whole galaxy of truly original artists.
One of his students, Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich, characterized the grandiose personality of his teacher and his extraordinary life path as follows:
"All of cultural Russia knew Kuindzhi. Even attacks made this name even more significant. They know about Kuindzhi - about a great, original artist. They know how, after unprecedented success, he stopped exhibiting; he worked for himself. They know him as a friend of youth and a sad man for the disadvantaged. They know he is known as a glorious dreamer in an effort to embrace the great and reconcile everyone, who gave away his entire million-dollar fortune. They know him as a strict critic; and in the depths of his often harsh judgments there was a sincere desire for the success of everything worthy. They remember his loud speech and bold arguments, which sometimes made those around him turn pale.
...There has always been a lot of mystery around the name Kuindzhi. I believed in the special power of this man."
The period of artistic formation of Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi is surrounded by legends. Actually, the year of his birth is not unconditionally established (1840, 1841 or 1842). He was born in Mariupol into a poor Greek family, either a peasant or a shoemaker. The surname "Kuindzhi", meaning "goldsmith", began to appear in documents only in 1857.
Orphaned early, the boy lived with relatives, worked for strangers: he was a servant for a grain merchant, served for a contractor, worked as a retoucher for a photographer. Kuindzhi received the basics of literacy from a Greek teacher he knew, and then studied at a city school. His love for drawing manifested itself in childhood; he drew wherever he could - on the walls of houses, fences, scraps of paper. According to later documents, Kuindzhi was listed as a “student of Aivazovsky’s school”; the fact of his stay in Feodosia was established, but it is difficult to say whether he studied with the marine painter himself or with one of his students.
In the early sixties we find Kuindzhi in St. Petersburg, where he apparently attends the Academy of Arts as a volunteer student. There is a certificate issued to “a student of Professor Aivazovsky’s school, Arkhip Kuindzhi, that for his good knowledge of landscape painting, the Academy Council ... recognized him as worthy of the title of free artist.” This document confirms the obvious influence of Aivazovsky on Kuindzhi’s first works (“Storm on the Black Sea”, “Fisherman’s Hut on the Shore of the Sea of Azov”).
In 1868, the artist took part in an academic exhibition. He presented the paintings "Tatar Village by Moonlight", "Storm on the Black Sea", "St. Isaac's Cathedral by Moonlight", for which he received the title of non-class artist. Plunging into the atmosphere of artistic life, he becomes friends with I.E. Repin and V.M. Vasnetsov, meets I.N. Kramskoy - the ideologist of advanced Russian artists. The lyricism of Savrasov’s landscapes, the poetic perception of nature in Vasiliev’s paintings, the epic nature of Shishkin’s canvases - everything opens up to the attentive gaze of the young artist.
Kuindzhi A.I. Autumn thaw
Kuindzhi is also close to the realistic orientation characteristic of the paintings of the Itinerant artists. A striking example of this is the painting “Autumn Thrush” created by him in 1872. In it, the artist not only conveyed a cold autumn day, a washed-out road with dimly shining puddles - he introduced into the landscape a lonely figure of a woman with a child, who is walking with difficulty through the mud. The autumn landscape, permeated with dampness and darkness, becomes a sad story about ordinary Russian people, about a dreary, joyless life.
Kuindzhi A.I.
Ladoga lake
Kuindzhi spent the summer of 1872 on Lake Ladoga, on the island of Valaam. As a result, the following paintings appeared: “Lake Ladoga” (1872), “On the Island of Valaam” (1873). Slowly, calmly, the artist in his paintings tells a story about the nature of the island, with its granite shores washed by channels, with dark dense forests and fallen trees. The last of these paintings can be compared with the epic epic, a picturesque legend about the mighty northern side. The silvery-bluish tone of the painting gives it a special emotional elation. After the 1873 exhibition at which this work was shown, Kuindzhi was talked about in the press, noting his original and great talent.
The painting “On the Island of Valaam” was acquired by Tretyakov. The sale of paintings gave the artist the opportunity to make a short trip to Europe. It is noteworthy that, having traveled half of Europe and visited its “art capital” - Paris, Kuindzhi said that he did not find anything interesting there and that he needed to work in Russia.
Kuindzhi A.I. On the island of Valaam
Kuindzhi A.I. Forgotten Village
Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Kuindzhi settled on Vasilievsky Island opposite the artist Kramskoy’s apartment. Unexpectedly for himself, Kramskoy discovers in Arkhip Ivanovich an original philosopher and a remarkable politician. The artist’s aspiration for realism, directly related to democratic views on life, manifested itself in the next large painting, “The Forgotten Village” (1874), which in its sharp social resonance and the merciless truth of showing the post-reform Russian village echoed the paintings of the Wanderers.
The following year, Kuindzhi exhibited three paintings: “The Chumatsky Highway in Mariupol”, “Steppe in Bloom” and “Steppe in the Evening”. In the painting “Chumatsky Trakt” the artist depicted an endless stream of convoys slowly moving on a gloomy day across the autumn steppe. The feeling of cold and dampness is enhanced by the color scheme of the canvas. “Steppe in the Evening” and “Steppe in Bloom” are completely different in mood. The artist affirmed the beauty of nature in them and admired the life-giving power of the sun's heat. With these works, in essence, a new stage in the work of a fully established artist begins.
Kuindzhi A.I. Chumatsky tract in Mariupol
Kuindzhi A.I. Steppe in bloom
By the mid-70s, Kuindzhi had become so popular that it seemed impossible to imagine traveling exhibitions without his works. In 1875 he was accepted as a member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions.
“The Chumatsky Trakt” is the third painting acquired by Tretyakov. The funds that have appeared again allow Kuindzhi to travel abroad, this time together with Repin. And again Kuindzhi did not find there what he was striving for in search of his own artistic vision.
After returning from abroad, Kuindzhi married Vera Leontievna Ketcherdzhi from Mariupol. The young people settled in St. Petersburg. They went on their honeymoon to the island of Valaam. Autumn bad weather disturbed the waters of Lake Ladoga, and the ship on which the newlyweds were traveling began to sink. Kuindzhi escaped with great difficulty on the boat, but the sketches and preparations for future paintings were all lost.
In 1876, at the Fifth Traveling Exhibition, Kuindzhi presented a wonderful painting - “Ukrainian Night”. The newspaper "Russian Vedomosti" wrote that there was always a crowd standing near the painting; there was no end to the delight. Critics noted: “News and an effect of unprecedented power... In the illusion of moonlight, Kuindzhi went further than anyone, even Aivazovsky.” The painting marked the beginning of Kuindzhi’s romantic view of the world.
Kuindzhi A.I. Ukrainian night
Kuindzhi A.I. Evening
Almost all the artists greeted the painting with distrust, wariness and denial. She was not understood even by Kramskoy. His two canvases, painted in 1978, “Sunset in the Forest” and “Evening,” are also not understood or accepted. This is what the subtle and sensitive Kramskoy wrote: “... there is something in his principles about color that is completely inaccessible to me; perhaps this is a completely new pictorial principle... I can also understand and even admire his “Forest” as something feverish , some kind of terrible dream, but its setting sun on the huts is decidedly beyond my understanding. I am a complete fool in front of this picture. I see that the very light on the white hut is so true that it is as tiring for my eye to look at it as if it were alive. reality; after 5 minutes it hurts in my eye, I turn away, close my eyes and don’t want to look anymore. Is this really an artistic impression? In short, I don’t quite understand Kuindzhi.”
Now newspapers are full of Kuindzhi’s name. Not a single critic can escape him. The public flocks to his works. They argue about the solar spectrum, about the laws of optics, about the scientific approach to issues of light. The Academy of Arts was forced to recognize the unprecedented success. Kuindzhi was nominated for the title of academician, but as a result received only the title of artist of the 1st degree.
At the Seventh Exhibition of the Itinerants in 1879, Kuindzhi presented three landscapes: “North”, “After the Storm”, “Birch Grove”. Different in motives, they are united by a great poetic feeling. The painting "North" continued the series of northern landscapes begun by "Lake Ladoga". This canvas is a generalized poetic image of the North, the result of thoughts and thoughts about the majestic and harsh nature. There are no bright lighting effects in the picture. The sky, high and exciting, as always with Kuindzhi, occupies more than half of the canvas. Lonely pine trees point towards the sky. Clear preference is given to the sky, the brush stroke here is dynamic and intermittent. The foreground is written in a sketchy, drawn-out stroke. The film "North" completed the trilogy, conceived back in 1872, and was the last of this series. For many years afterwards, Kuindzhi devoted his talent to praising the nature of southern and central Russia.
Kuindzhi A.I. North
Kuindzhi A.I. Birch Grove
The landscape “After the Storm” is full of life, movement, and a feeling of freshness of rain-washed nature. But the greatest success at the exhibition fell to the painting “Birch Grove”. Crowds of people stood around this canvas for hours. It seemed as if the sun itself had penetrated into the exhibition hall, illuminating the green meadow, playing on the white trunks of birches and on the branches of mighty trees. While working on the painting, Kuindzhi looked first of all for the most expressive composition. From sketch to sketch, the location of the trees and the size of the clearing were refined. There is nothing random in the final version, “copied” from nature. The foreground is immersed in shadow - this emphasizes the sonority and saturation of the sun of the green meadow. The artist managed, avoiding theatricality, to create a decorative picture in the best sense of the word.
Kuindzhi A.I. Moonlight night
on the Dnieper
In 1880, an extraordinary exhibition was opened in St. Petersburg on Bolshaya Morskaya (now Herzen Street): one painting was shown - “Moonlit Night on the Dnieper”. She caused a storm of delight. There was a huge queue at the entrance to the exhibition.
“Moonlit Night on the Dnieper” was written by Kuindzhi after leaving the Association of Itinerants. A small, limited-size canvas seems to open a window onto the world, into the solemn beauty and depth of the southern night sky. The greenish ribbon of a quiet river almost merges at the horizon with a dark sky covered with light clouds. The phosphorescent glow of the moon attracts you, as does the overall magical, magnetic mood of the picture.
Envy caused by Kuindzhi's unprecedented triumph led to persecution of the artist and the spread of ridiculous rumors and jokes. Chistyakov wrote to Tretyakov: “All landscape painters say that the Kuindzhi effect is a simple matter, but they themselves cannot do it...”.
“The Kuindzhi Effect” is nothing more than the result of the artist’s enormous work and long searches. Through persistent, persistent work, Kuindzhi achieved masterful mastery of color and that compositional simplicity that distinguishes his best works. His workshop was a researcher's laboratory. He experimented a lot, studied the laws of action of complementary colors, looking for the right tone, and compared it with color relationships in nature itself. This was facilitated by his communication with university physics professor F.F. Petrushevsky, who studied the problems of color science, which he summarized in the book “Light and color in themselves and in relation to painting.”
Obviously, issues of color and light perception were also discussed by Kuindzhi and D.I. Mendeleev, a good friend of the artist. They say that one day D.I. Mendeleev gathered the Peredvizhniki artists in his physics office on the university yard and tried a device to measure the sensitivity of the eye to the subtle nuances of tones; Kuindzhi broke the sensitivity record to perfect accuracy! But the main thing, of course, was the general genius of nature and extraordinary efficiency in writing. “Oh, how vividly I remember him during this process!” Repin exclaimed. “A stocky figure with a huge head, Absalom’s hair and the charming eyes of a bull... Again the sharpest beam of hair-eyed eyes on the canvas; again a long consideration and check from a distance; again lowered to eye palette; again even more careful mixing of paint and again heavy steps towards a simple easel..."
Kuindzhi A.I. Dnieper in the morning
In 1881, Kuindzhi created the painting “Dnieper in the Morning.” There is no play of light or bright decorativeness in it; it attracts with its calm majesty, inner power, and powerful force of nature. An amazingly subtle combination of pure golden-pink, lilac, silver and greenish-gray tones allows you to convey the charm of flowering grasses, endless distances, and early steppe mornings.
The 1882 exhibition was the last for the artist. There followed many years of silence. Friends did not understand the reasons and were worried. Kuindzhi himself explained this: “... An artist needs to perform at exhibitions while he, as a singer, has a voice. And as soon as his voice subsides, he must leave, not show himself, so as not to be ridiculed. So I became Arkhip Ivanovich, known to everyone , well, that’s good, but then I saw that I couldn’t do that again, that my voice seemed to start to subside. Well, they’ll say: Kuindzhi was there, and Kuindzhi was gone. So I don’t want this, but for Kuindzhi to remain forever! ".
Compared to the decade of active participation in exhibitions, over the remaining thirty years Kuindzhi created relatively few significant paintings. According to the recollections of the artist’s friends, in the early 1900s, Kuindzhi invited them to his studio and showed them the paintings “Evening in Ukraine”, “Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane”, “Dnieper” and “Birch Grove”, which they were delighted with. But Kuindzhi was dissatisfied with these works and did not submit them to the exhibition. "Night" - one of the latest works makes one remember Kuindzhi's best paintings from the heyday of his talent. He also feels a poetic attitude towards nature, a desire to glorify its majestic and solemn beauty.
Kuindzhi A.I. Christ
in the Garden of Gethsemane
Kuindzhi A.I. Birch Grove
Kuindzhi A.I. Night
During the “reclusive” period of his activity, Kuindzhi did not abandon the search for the artistic embodiment of his worldview. Numerous sketches are characterized by his general creative approach to painting - “thinking through”, “completing” what he sees or writes, often from memory. And although the impression of reality is not lost, the deliberate “carpet” and “applique” show the abstractness of the landscape. The images of nature in Kuindzhi’s paintings of this period are full of contemplation, silence, and peace.
Works from this time are often undated. They can be divided into several groups. A number of paintings vary the motif of spots of moonlight or sunlight in a winter forest (“Sun spots on frost”). In others, the fog effect takes center stage. This is a kind of rethinking of the experience of impressionism - the painting is thicker, more dense, with a certain amount of decorativeness. Kuindzhi works with a generalized color spot, sometimes with forced color (the “Sunsets” series and, as an example, the “Sunset Effect” canvas).
Kuindzhi A.I. Solar
spots on frost
Kuindzhi A.I. Sunset effect
The appearance of nature in the artist’s works is devoid of everyday life; there is something solemn and somewhat theatrical in it, even when the landscape motif is completely classical (“Oaks”). This is especially true for the “mountains” series. It seems to be the personification of the greatness of nature, its mystery and incomprehensibility. Most of the mountain landscapes are made from memory, but have a rare authenticity created by purely conventional means - exaggerated contrasts of light and color, generalization of shapes and silhouettes ("Elbrus in the evening", "Daryal Gorge").
Kuindzhi A.I. Elbrus in the evening
Kuindzhi A.I. Daryal Gorge
In the last two decades of his life, Kuindzhi became very interested in the sky and the colorful richness of sunsets. Along with this, from his very first visit to the Caucasus in 1888, he became an ardent admirer of mountain landscapes. The radiance of snowy peaks, painted with a mysterious light, the monumentality of heavy mountain ranges are contrasted with the petty vanity of life. Perhaps thanks to Kuindzhi and N.K. Roerich began to perceive mountains as a living breath of the forces of nature.
Kuindzhi A.I. Sunset in the steppe
by the sea
Kuindzhi A.I. Red sunset
Kuindzhi A.I. Ai-Petri. Crimea
Kuindzhi A.I. Fog in the mountains. Caucasus
Kuindzhi A.I. Snowy peaks
In 1889, Arkhip Ivanovich’s voluntary seclusion was broken - he became a professor at the Academy of Arts. This happened thanks to the arrival of more progressive figures to the leadership of the Academy. When updating the teaching staff, they focused on the artists of the most viable association of that time - the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions.
The Peredvizhniki artists spoke out for a radical renewal of the Academy, but when they were offered to become teachers in various workshops, many refused. The teachers of the Academy were I. Repin, A. Kuindzhi, V. Vasnetsov, V. Makovsky, I. Shishkin, Polenov, .
This event played a huge role in Kuindzhi’s life, giving the opportunity to demonstrate his pedagogical talent. The magnetism of Arkhip Ivanovich’s personality and his teaching talent attracted students to him. Friends and teachers at the Academy of Arts began to take offense at Kuindzhi because their students literally ran to his workshop. Because of this, Arkhip Ivanovich lost one of his best friends, the artist Shishkin.
“Kuindzhi himself knew the whole hardship of the struggle for the truth. Envy wove the most ridiculous legends about him. It got to the point that envious people whispered that Kuindzhi was not an artist at all, but a shepherd who killed an artist in the Crimea and took possession of his paintings. This is how far the snake of slander has crawled ! Dark people could not digest the fame of Kuindzhi when the article about his “Ukrainian Night” began with the words: “Kuindzhi - from now on this name is famous.” People like Turgenev, Mendeleev, Dostoevsky, Suvorin, Petrushevsky wrote about Kuindzhi and were friends with him. .. These names alone already sharpened the language of slander... But Kuindzhi was a fighter, he was not afraid to speak out for students, for the young, and his stern, truthful judgments on the academy council were menacing thunder against all injustices. His original way of expression, expressive brevity and power. the voices were forever etched in the memory of those who listened to his speech."
In teaching, as well as in painting, Kuindzhi was an innovator in the full sense of the word. Innovations concerned both the work methodology and its organization itself. For example, on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., anyone who wanted to get advice on landscape painting could come to his studio. These days he gave advice and lectured to more than 200 students.
Unlike other Academy professors, he was not a “master” who treated his students condescendingly. He wanted to see his workshop as a single family, united by a common interest in art. He dreamed of comradely and spiritual unity. Bogaevsky, Vroblevsky, Zarubin, Khimona, Kalmykova, Rylov, Borisov, Wagner, Mankovsky, Chumakov worked in his workshop. Arkhip Ivanovich taught painting to N.K. Roerich. What is most striking about Kuindzhi’s students is their worldly toughness, understanding of living conditions, great capacity for work, love of art, devotion to the teacher, and truly friendly relations with each other.
“And Kuindzhi’s students remained in a special, inextricable relationship with each other. The teacher managed not only to equip them for creativity and struggle in life, but also to unite them in a common service to art and humanity.” (Nicholas Roerich. Kuindzhi’s Workshop).
Kuindzhi taught to create, and not to be tied to a certain area and “photograph” it with the help of brushes and paints. The basis of creativity, he believed, should be the knowledge of nature, which is mastered in sketch work. The creation of the sketch was supposed to facilitate a preliminary understanding of what the artist saw in front of him. But Kuindzhi forbade the direct use of the sketch as part of the painting, where it is mechanically transferred.
Much of the training was based on an individual approach. The teacher did not restrict the students' independence. He did not force those who came to him from other workshops to change their previously acquired skills in painting. A free creative atmosphere reigned in his workshop. The students argued and sometimes disagreed with the leader.
Concern for students extended beyond the workshop. Arkhip Ivanovich was very attentive to both the personal lives of his students and their living conditions. In 1895, he provided his students with money and sent them to sketch on his Crimean estate, where he set up a kind of “academic dacha.”
In 1897, “for participating in a student strike,” Kuindzhi was placed under house arrest for two days and removed from his professorship. The real reasons for his resignation were the attitude of the Academy’s management towards him, which Arkhip Ivanovich irritated with his independent behavior, democratic attitude towards students and wide popularity among students.
After leaving the Academy, the artist continued to give private lessons and helped prepare competition works. Moreover, in the spring of 1898, Kuindzhi, at his own expense, took thirteen of his students abroad to expand their knowledge and improve their skills. Later, he unites his students on other grounds that he can imagine: these are the so-called “Mussard Mondays”, these are competitions named after. Kuindzhi, and since 1908 - the Society named after. Kuindzhi.
Kuindzhi’s dream of an artistic association, where the artist would feel independent from power and official institutions, came true with the creation of the Society of Artists in 1908. There he intended to invest the bulk of his capital in order to provide not only moral, but also material support to artists. The construction of exhibition premises was also envisaged. It was decided to give the Society his name as a sign of Arkhip Ivanovich’s merits. To his brainchild - the Society named after. Kuindzhi - Arkhip Ivanovich bequeathed all his paintings, estates in Crimea and half a million capital.
Society named after Kuindzhi existed until 1931. Meetings, exhibitions, and evenings were held in an apartment at 17 Gogol Street, the walls of which were decorated with paintings by Kuindzhi. Outstanding artists such as Chaliapin, Sobinov, Medea Figner gave concerts here.
One of Arkhip Ivanovich’s most beloved students was N.K. Roerich. S.P. Yaremich wrote: “We find a perfect example that embodies Kuindzhi’s ideal in the personality of Roerich. He is undoubtedly the strongest and most complete of all Kuindzhi’s students.”
Roerich carried his love for Kuindzhi throughout his life. “Teacher with a capital T,” that’s what he called Arkhip Ivanovich. And with what love I wrote about him!
"...The powerful Kuindzhi was not only a great artist, but was also a great Teacher of life. His private life was unusual, secluded, and only his closest students knew the depths of his soul. At exactly noon he ascended to the roof of his house, and, as As soon as the midday fortress cannon thundered, thousands of birds gathered around him. He fed them from his hands, these countless of his friends: pigeons, sparrows, crows, jackdaws, swallows. It seemed that all the birds of the capital flocked to him and covered his shoulders, arms and head. He told me: “Come closer, I will tell them not to be afraid of you.” The sight of this gray-haired and smiling man, covered with chirping birds, will remain among the most precious memories we witnessed. how little birds sat next to the crows and they did not harm their smaller brothers.
One of Kuindzhi's usual joys was helping the poor without them knowing where the good deed came from. His whole life was unique. A simple Crimean shepherd boy, he became one of our most famous artists solely thanks to his talent. And that same smile that fed the birds made him the owner of three large houses. Needless to say, of course, he bequeathed all his wealth to the people for artistic purposes."
Roerich outlines the portrait of his teacher with light strokes, but even from these brief notes many amazing features of his personality become clear.
“I remember how he received me into his workshop. I remember him waking me up at two o’clock in the morning to warn of danger. I remember him embarrassedly giving money to give to various poor people and old people. I remember his swift returns to give advice that He, having already dropped from six floors, decided. I remember his quick visits to see if his harsh criticism was too upsetting. I remember his correct judgments about the people he met.
He knew much more about many things than they could have imagined. From two or three facts, with the sensitivity of a true creator, he determined integral propositions. “I speak not as it is, but as it will be.” I remember his sweet, forgiving word: “Poor them!” And for many people he could establish an angle of understanding and forgiveness. Quiet, long conversations in private will be most remembered by Arkhip Ivanovich’s students.”
The teacher's care for his students and his love for them was evident until the last days of Kuindzhi's life. Before his death, Kuindzhi passionately wanted to see all his students.
"Good people die hard." This is what the people believe. Amid the painful suffocation of Arkhip Ivanovich, this sign was remembered. Popular wisdom indicated that a good, great man died."
LITERATURE
- Repin I.E. Distant close.
- Facets of Agni Yoga. 1972 T.13.
- Roerich N.K. Kuindzhi.
- Stasov V.V. Selected articles about Russian painting.
- Roerich N.K. Kuindzhi's workshop.
- Novouspensky N.N. Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi.
- Zimenko V. Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi.
- Manin V. Kuindzhi.
